US EditionDjokovic's 'Tennis Dad' Nikola Pilic Dies Aged 87
Pilić coached three nations to Davis Cup wins and mentored Novak Djokovic, profoundly influencing modern tennis and the sport’s professional era.
- On Monday, Nikola Pilić died in Opatija, the Croatian Tennis Association confirmed his death.
- As a young player, Pilić began his career in Split in 1953 and represented the Yugoslav youth national team four years later, joining the original Handsome Eight who helped professionalize tennis.
- Pilić is the only coach to have led three nations to Davis Cup glory, and his Oberschleißheim academy trained Michael Stich, Ernests Gulbis, and Novak Djokovic.
- Croatia and the global tennis community are mourning Nikola Pilic, and the Croatian Tennis Association said `Nikola Niki Pilic will be remembered as the only captain ever to lead three different nations to Davis Cup titles`.
- Pilić advocated for ATP reforms to improve player conditions, and his legacy endures through players he coached and honours like the Lifetime Achievement Award and Serbia's Gold Medal of Merit.
12 Articles
12 Articles
A great tennis expert died in Rijeka at the age of 87.
Djokovic's 'tennis dad' Nikola Pilic dies aged 87
Croatian tennis legend Nikola Pilic, who captained multiple Davis Cup-winning sides and was an early mentor to Novak Djokovic, has died at the age of 87, the country's tennis association announced on Tuesday. "One of the greatest players and coaches Croatian tennis has ever had," died on Monday in the western Croatian town of Opatija, the association reported in a statement. Pilic began his career in Split in 1953 and, just four years later, was…
The Croatian master, who truly became a legend as a coach, also made a lasting impression as a player.
Death interrupts the presence, but it does not break the inheritance: a pupil carries in his heart the beautiful actions of his master. Yes, Nikola Pilic for Novak Djokovic was more than a mentor. Thanks to his academy the former Croatian tennis player raised some future stars that have become in time the real legends of this sport: Michael Stich, Goran Ivanisevic and finally Novak Djokovic. "Being loved so deeply, even if the person who loved u…
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